VC: Play-off showdown in final round

There will be four teams fighting it out over the two remaining play-offs spots in the final round of the Varsity Cup on Monday.

With UP-Tuks and UFS-Shimlas having secured home semifinals with big wins in the penultimate round last week, it is down to which teams will join them in the knockout phase of the competition.

Just four log points separate the next four sides, who will all be desperate to ensure they will be travelling to either Pretoria or Bloemfontein for a semifinal next week.

In the early match on Monday two-time champions UP-Tuks will be looking to maintain their place at the top of the standings when they travel to Port Elizabeth to face a NMMU Madibaz hoping to end a disappointing campaign on a high.

In Cape Town defending champions UCT will know that a win will see them stay in the competition, but their opponents UJ will need more than that as their outside chance of making the semifinals rests on other results going their way as well.

Three-time champions Maties face winless newcomers CUT in Bloemfontein, and they will need a full five log points and a favour from either UJ or UFS-Shimlas if they are to avoid missing the play-offs for just the second time in the history of the competition.

UFS-Shimlas are the only team that has yet to lose this season, and they host NWU-Pukke in what could be a make-or-break game for the visitors.

Last year's beaten finalists know that a win will be enough to go through, but if they do not manage to topple coach Franco Smith's impressive UFS-Shimlas outfit then they will have to rely on results elsewhere going their way to make the cut.

* In the Varsity Shield UWC continue their mission to sneak into the Final when they travel to Alice to face the Fort Hare Blues.

In the other match winless TUT Vikings host log-leaders Wits who can assure themselves a home final with victory in Pretoria.

* With defending champions UFS having already booked themselves a place in the Varsity Young Guns final, the focus will be on which team gets to join them.

Three-time champions UP-Tuks travel to Port Elizabeth where they will need to collect a bonus-point win against an unbeaten NMMU side, while the UCT Trojans also have an outside chance of sneaking in if they manage to beat NWU-Pukke and the other result goes their way.

* In the Hostel Championship three-time champions Vishuis can secure themselves a place in the Final with a win over NWU-Pukke's Patria in Bloemfontein and at the other end of the table NMMU's Stallions square up with CUT's Tigers.

All of Monday's match details:

Varsity Cup

NMMU v UP-Tuks

(Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth - Kick-off: 16.45)

Teams:

NMMU: 15 Tythan Adams, 14 Khaya Malotana, 13 Micheal Barnardt, 12 Devon Lailvaux, 11 Brian Skosana, 10 Ruan Allerston, 9 Enrico Acker (captain), 8 Andisa Ntsila, 7 Philip Odendaal, 6 Jody Reyneke, 5 Robert Louw, 4 Stephan Zaayman, 3 Brenden Olivier, 2 Dane Van der Westhuyzen, 1 Marzuk Maarman.

Replacements: 16 Warrick Venter, 17 Steven Robbeson, 18 Elandre van der Merwe, 19 Ivan-John du Preez, 20 Ivan ludick, 21 Stevn Hansel, 22 Andile Jho, 23 Arno Ebersohn.

UP-Tuks: 15 Riaan Britz, 14 Damian van Wyk, 13 Daniel Kriel, 12 John Jackson, 11 Jermaine Kleinsmith, 10 Joshua Stander, 9 André Warner, 8 Clyde Davids, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg (captain), 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Irné Herbst, 3 Andrew Beerwinkel, 2 Jan Enslin, 1 Nqobisizwe Mxoli.

Replacements: 16 Jan Van der Merwe, 17 Justin Forwood, 18 Dennis Visser, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Emile Temperman, 21 Dewald Human, 22 Adrian Maebane, 23 Neethling Fouche.

Referees: Quinton Immelman, Cwengile Jadezweni

Assistant referees: Local

TMO: Christie du Preez

UCT v UJ

(UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town - Kick-off: 18.30)

Teams:

UCT: 15 Khanyo Ngcukana, 14 Richard Stewart, 13 Lihleli Xoli, 12 Guy Schwikkard, 11 Dylan Sage, 10 Thomas Bednall, 9 Ryan Dugmore, 8 Guy Alexander, 7 Michael Botha (captain), 6 Jason Klaasen, 5 James Kilroe, 4 Mark Prior, 3 Kyle Whyte, 2 Chad Solomon, 1 Joel Carew.

Replacements: 16 Michael Kennedy, 17 Robin Murray, 18 Jade Kriel, 19 Luke Stringer, 20 Stephen Wallace, 21 Nicholas Holton, 22 Nathan Nel, 23 David Maasch.

UJ: 15 Aphiwe Dyanti, 14 Bradley Moolman, 13 Robert De Bruyn, 12 Adriaan Vermeulen, 11 Andries Osthuizen, 10 Jaco Fourie, 9 Chuma Faas, 8 Dylan Peterson, 7 Kyle Van Dalen, 6 Kobus Porter (captain), 5 David Antonites, 4 Werner Lourens, 3 Nico Du Plessis, 2 Siphatho Qinisile, 1 Gareth Milasinovich.

Replacements: 16 Jannes Snyman, 17 Raeez Salie, 18 Griffith van Wyk, 19 Wiaan Conradie, 20 Hilton Mudarika, 21 James Campbell, 22 Dominic Kroezen, 23 Brandon Landsberg.

Referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Jaco Kotze

Assistant referees: Local

CUT v Maties

(CUT Rugby Stadium, Bloemfontein - Kick-off: 18.30)

Teams:

CUT: 15 Henry immelman, 14 Lethole Makoena, 13 Jacques Nel, 12 Ali Mgijima, 11 Mosego Toolo, 10 Duan Pretorius (captain), 9 Christiaan Erasmus, 8 Jean Pretorius, 7 Jean-Claude Fourie, 6 Dean Kouprihanoff, 5 Fanie Coetzee, 4 JJ Nel, 3 Niel Schoombee, 2 Jeandre Roux, 1 Len Noort.

Replacements: 16 Niel Schoombee, 17 Ian Smith, 18 Daneel Botes, 19 Victor Maruping, 20 Dean Jacobs, 21 Dean Rossouw, 22 Naude van Biljon, 23 Boetie Makethlo.

Maties: 15 Mike Muller, 14 Jamie Joseph, 13 Paul Streicher, 12 Koos Loubser, 11 Craig Barry, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Bjorn Bernardo, 8 Janco Venter, 7 Derick Linde (captain), 6 Justin Benn, 5 Kobus Van Dyk, 4 Lourens Fick, 3 Jacobus Van der Merwe, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 1 Niel Oelofse.

Replacements: 16 Craig Corbett, 17 Wesley Adonis, 18 Grant Prior, 19 Lungelo Chonco, 20 Louis Nel, 21 Ernest Stapelberg, 22 Kyle Leibrandt, 23 Abel De Klerk.

Referees: Pro Legoete, Jaco Pretorius

Assistant referees: Local

UFS-Shimlas v NWU-Pukke

(Shimla Park, Bloemfontein - Kick-off: 19.00)

Teams:

UFS-Shimlas: 15 AJ Coertzen (captain), 14 JP Coetzee, 13 Nico Lee, 12 Tertius Kruger, 11 Maphutha Dolo, 10 Niel Marais, 9 Renier Botha, 8 Niell Jordaan, 7 Gerhard Olivier, 6 Steven Meiring, 5 Niel Claassen, 4 Johan van der Hoogt, 3 Conraad Van Vuuren, 2 Elandre Huggett, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16 Jacques Du Toit, 17 Chase Morison, 18 Boela Venter, 19 Tienie Burger, 20 Mthokozisi Mkhabela, 21 Vuyani Maqina, 22 Refuoe Rampete, 23 Theunis Nieuwoudt.

NWU-Pukke: 15 Rhyno Smith, 14 Dalen Goliath, 13 Rowayne Beukman, 12 Johan Deysel (captain), 11 Dean Stokes, 10 Johnny Welthagen, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Jaco Buys, 7 Marno Redelinghuys, 6 Armandt Liebenberg, 5 Walt Steenkamp, 4 Loftus Morrison, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 2 Wian Fourie, 1 Johan Smith.

Replacements: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Mogau Mabokela, 18 Daniel Jordaan, 19 Moletsi Bouwer, 20 Malherbe Swart, 21 Juandre Williams, 22 Bouke Tack, 23 Cayle Denner.

Referees: Francois Pretorius, Rodney Boneparte

Assistant referees: Local

TMO: JJ Wagner

Varsity Shield fixtures

Fort Hare v UWC

(Davidson Rugby Stadium, Alice - Kick-off: 17.00)

TUT v Wits

(TUT Stadium, Pretoria - Kick-off: 18.30)

Varsity Young Guns fixtures:

NMMU Young Guns v UP-Tuks Young Guns

(Madibaz Stadium, Port Elizabeth - Kick-off: 19.00)

Ikeys Young Guns v NWU-Pukke Young Guns

(UCT Rugby Fields, Cape Town - Kick-off: 16.00)

Hostel Championship fixtures

Tigers v Stallions

(CUT Rugby Stadium, Bloemfontein - Kick-off: 16.15)

Vishuis v Patria

(Shimla Park, Bloemfontein - Kick-off: 16.45)